


Ocean Eyes

by NicoleFrenchie



Category: Fifth Harmony (Band)
Genre: Accidental Cuddling, Alternate Universe, Amnesia, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/F, Fluff, Kissing, Sharing a Bed, Slow Burn, everybody needs a hug
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-12
Updated: 2017-03-05
Packaged: 2018-09-23 20:22:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 15,412
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9674570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NicoleFrenchie/pseuds/NicoleFrenchie
Summary: Camila and Lauren were in love and planed to be together forever. However, after Camila gets in a car accident, everything changes. Affected by Retrograde Amnesia, Camila has no memories of the past five years and of her small group of friends. Together, the four girls help Camila rediscover who she’s become and watch her fall in love with Lauren all over again.





	1. Waking Up

**Author's Note:**

> This will be a slow burn, and I hope you all strap in because it'll be fun! I hope you'll enjoy this story!

Darkness and silence was all that surrounded her.

The girl had become used to the darkness and constant silence surrounding her, until she registered the steady sound of beeping. Then, it became louder in her ears. As if creating an orchestra of noises, the soft hum of a voice came into play, followed by the low buzzing of artificial lighting. The girl frowned, registering the indistinguishable pain shooting through her. Her head throbbed, her brain felt like it was banging against her skull. The ache was so pervasive that she couldn’t even begin to find the source of it.

She felt a warm touch on one of her hands, but it was near impossible to know which one. Her limbs felt like jelly; but the touch was a reminder to move. After a brief moment of panic, Camila found herself wiggling the ends of her fingers, soon followed by her toes.

“Camz?” A voice called, caution in her tone.

Camila’s eyes were open, at least, they must be. The sight of light was blinding, and as soon as she’d opened them, she closed them. All she could do was close them again. In the few moments she’d opened her eyes, she’d seen a blurry figure.

She’d registered a mass of dark locks, light eyes and some blurry colours. An angel. That would mean that she’d died and went to heaven, but that couldn’t be possible due to the large amount of pain she was in.

“Camila?” The same voice called. “Are you awake?”

Hazy eyes fluttered open, blinking against the strong light, beginning to focus onto the ceiling. Camila laid, staring at the ceiling, and the sharp smell of antiseptics that attacked her nostrils. The girl made to respond, but nothing came. The small girl swallowed and frowned, she could feel something in her throat. There was a tube down her throat.

Soon enough, the warm touch left her hand and a figure hurried to what Camila assumed was the door.

“We need some help,” she heard the other girl say, panic clear in her voice. “She’s awake and-”

There was hushed conversation between the girl and someone in the hall, saying things Camila couldn’t begin to comprehend. Soon enough, there was sounds of hurried footsteps, and hushed whispering.

In a moment, a blonde woman hovered atop her, a comforting smile on her face. “You’re okay,” she comforted as Camila tried desperately to take a breath of her own. “Miss. Cabello, I’m going to remove the tube. Is that alright?”

Camila tried to nod, but the tube restricted her. The girl closed her eyes, hearing the beeping of the machine increase in speed as the young woman felt the strange and unsettling sensation of the tube being pulled out of her throat.

“Is she - are you sure that’s normal? Is the beeping normal?”

“Miss. Jauregui,” the nurse said calmly. “I’m going to need you to take a seat.”

Camila focused on the woman’s voice as she felt tube being eased out of her throat, gagging at the ridiculous length of it, wondering if this moment is ever going to end. When it finally did, her dark eyes snapped open and she immediately gasped for a breath, her throat was hoarse from the foreign object being in there and her eyes streamed.

“You’re okay,” the nurse told her, placing a hand on her shoulder briefly. “Just breathe.”

Camila was breathing, couldn’t the woman hear her? The sound of her breathing was like an avalanche in her ears, her eyes focusing onto the blank wall in front of her. The Latina quickly took notice of the many small bouquets of colourful flower standing closer to the windows and many letters, all sealed in their respective envelops.

“I’m going to get the doctor,” the nurse informed. “I’ll be back in a moment.”

Camila blinked, trying to recover her breathing. She was leaving? The nurse was just going to leave her alone in her hospital room like this is a perfectly normal thing to do? What kind of hospital was this?

And what the hell happened to her?

“Camila,” a voice called, cracking as the words left her mouth.

Camila took a look at the other young woman, taking the girl in. She didn’t recognize her. Her light eyes were starting to tear up, the corner of her full lips twitching. She ran a had through long ebony locks of hair, sniffling as she did so. The unnamed woman took a seat at the edge of the bed, smiling tenderly at the girl. Fresh tears escaped down the girl’s cheeks and pale fingers moved to wipe them away, engulfing the girl into a hug and Camila found herself flinching at the contact.

“I’m sorry for crying,” she breathed, petting the hair at the back of her hair and soaking her hospital gown with her warm tears. It made Camila ache in a thousand different ways. “I just-I thought I was going to lose you, Camz.”

Camila opened her mouth and tried to ask who she was, but there was a minor inconvenience stopping her: her throat was killing her. She was mercifully spared the effort of having to figure that out when a man walked in, presumably the doctor that the nurse left to get. The young woman sat up upon feeling the man’s presence, her fingers moving to wipe away her tears as she stood. She offered the man a soft smile before glancing downward at her boots, green eyes raising occasionally to glance at the girl.

The man offered a smile, barely reaching his ears as he glanced at the chart he had at his disposal. “Hello, Miss. Cabello,” he warmly said, the bright light reflecting off his bald head. “I’m glad to finally see you awake.”

Camila blinked at the man, brows furrowing. _Finally?_

The doctor wasted no time, peering at the monitor that now beeped steadily along with her heartbeat and taking note of it. “I’m Doctor McKain,” he introduced himself, gesturing towards the hospital bed. “How are you feeling, Camila?”

“Not good,” she managed, the sound muffled and raw as she spoke.

The doctor released a laugh, and so did the other young woman - hers was a relieved kind of laugh, running a hand through her mess of ebony hair like Camila had made her damn day by simply answering the question.

“That’s to be expected,” Doctor McKain said, scribbling some notes onto her medical records. “Tell me, Camila, what do you remember about the accident?”

She hesitated, staring at the young woman, wondering if the man could see her too. Maybe the girl was her guardian angel. In any case, she sure did look the part. With her dark hair contrasting against her pale skin and white items of clothing, clear green eyes staring at her, and straight white teeth, she could easily pass for one.

Camila glanced back at the doctor. “I can’t,” she answered simply.

She was racking her brain for information, but she couldn’t remember anything that would have lead to her being in the hospital. The brunette tried to remember what she was doing, gain some kind of insight, but it all came up blank in her mind.

“That’s alright,” said the man, scribbling quickly on the medical chart. “That’s perfectly normal for patients who have experienced being in a coma. I’m just going to ask you a few questions, okay?”

Camila tried to nod, and winced at the pain. The other girl squeezed her hand in hers, and Camila tried her hardest not to glance at the angel because if she was hallucinating, she didn’t want to appear crazy by acknowledging an invisible being.

“Miss. Jauregui?” The doctor said, pointing at the young woman next to Camila. “Might you be so kind as to step outside for a few moments while I speak with Miss. Cabello?”

The young woman furrowed her brows, glancing at the small girl. “Why?” She asked.

“A standard hospital procedure,” the man explained. “Whenever a patient who was in a coma wakes up, we have to ask them a specific set of questions to test their cognitive memory and behaviour. Only immediate family members may remain in the room, and as of written on this chart, you are not an immediate family member.”

“No,” the girl protested. “I don’t want to leave her alone.”

“It will only be for a moment,” said the man in a light tone, but in a way that conveyed enough authority that Camila found herself instantly calmed by it.

The young woman still hesitated, stroking the top of her hand with her thumb, light gaze lingering on Camila. “I’ll be right back,” she murmured to her, but only confused Camila.

Camila nodded at the girl vaguely, not wanting to be impolite to a complete stranger. The stranger removed her hand from hers, and left behind a strange emptiness that Camila couldn’t quite explain. She was both relieved and apprehensive as she watched the young woman walking towards the door, meeting her eyes as she turned back one last time to look at her before leaving the room.

The doctor closed the door behind the girl, cleared his throat and calling Camila’s attention. “No need to worry, these questions will only test your memory. Do you know your name?”

“Camila Cabello,” she said, relieved that at least she can answer that.

“Do you know how old you are?”

“Fifteen,” she nodded, proud of herself for answering another question correctly. “I’m fifteen.”

The man simply hummed slowly, writing something down. “And are you in a relationship, Camila?”

The girl frowned, pursing her lips in thought. Camila shook her head, instantly regretting it. Fuck, her skull ached. “No,” she answered. “I broke up with David.”

“Who’s David?” The doctor asked, raising a brow.

“A child-friend,” she answered before shaking her head, correcting herself. “Friends since we were babies.”

Dr. McKain nodded, writing something down on his clipboard, the bright light reflecting from his bald scalp. “Camila, do you know what year it is?”

Camila pursed her lips. It’s as if there was a hollow space in her brain where the information should be. “2012,” she decided, nodding.

Her words seemed to suck the air out of the room. The bald man peered at her from over his clipboard with a neutral expression on his face, searching Camila’s dark eyes with an unsettling kind of thoroughness.

“What happened?” The girl asked, the words coming out as a whisper.

Dr. McKain’s light eyes were almost unbearably kind, reflecting pity as he stared at the girl. And the way he stared at her made shivers run down her spine, she knew it had to be bad news.

“You were in a car accident,” said the man. “You-”

“Was I driving?” Camila asked, cutting off the man despite the pain in her throat.

“No,” his voice was a little softer, cautious even. “You were walking in horrible atmospheric conditions and a car hit you.”

Camila stared at the doctor for a moment, waiting for him to crack a smile, or do anything to indicate that it was all a horrible joke. She wanted the man to say that she was going to wake up at any given moment, not that she’d been hit by a car.

“I know this can be quite the shock,” the man in white told her. “But Camila, I want you to know that this is not insurmountable, and certainly not permanent. But it seems that the head trauma you have suffered may have caused some significant gaps in your memory.”

Camila didn’t have to hear the monitor to know that her blood was pulsing through her veins with a new and terrifying speed. “Gaps?” She repeated.

Dr. McKain nodded, waiting a few moments before speaking again. “Camila, it’s 2017.”

Camila blinked, mouth parting and closing. “No, it isn’t,” she shook her head. “No, it-it’s not. I’m, no. What? No.”

“As I said before, it doesn’t necessarily mean your memory loss is permanent.”

The girl nodded, her dark hair brushing against the hospital gown. “How long?”

“Thirteen weeks,” the doctor provided, nodding. “Which would be two months.”

“Two moths? ” Camila managed to choke out.

She inhaled and exhaled. Actively tries not to freak out in front of the doctor, because freaking out was not a thing that Camila Cabello did. Her whole life she’d been calm and collected. She was in control. She was...

“And the girl?” She asked, weakly pointing towards the door.

The man stared at her, waiting for Camila to explain herself further, but she couldn’t. No matter how much she tried, Camila couldn’t explain herself.

“Who?” The man asked, trying to understand further.

“The angel,” Camila explained, deciding that the answer was good enough.

When the man didn’t respond, Camila moved her hand around her head, miming long locks of hair and then pointing towards the door.

The man finally nodded, scribbling down some words. “That was Lauren Jauregui,” he gently said. “You were close friends. That girl stayed here for hours, came here everyday since your accident.”

Camila didn’t react, she wasn’t certain how. She pressed her lips together, frowning. That unnamed girl was her friend? She couldn’t begin to phantom the idea of being that girl’s friend, they just seemed so different from one another.

“You don’t remember her,” the doctor said, in a manner of fact. “Do you?”

“Five years of my life are missing?” She asked, her voice cracking and ignoring the subject.

Doctor McKain agreed with a solemn nod of his head. “That is certainly how it appears as of right now.”

Camila sucked in a breath, trying to ground herself. She didn’t know what to say or do. She glanced out toward the door that the girl, Lauren, just left out of and somehow she was sure that she was hovering just outside of it.

“My parents?” She asked. “And my sister?”

Because it was only then that the though occurred to her - if she’d been in an accident, there would be no doubt that her parents and her little sister Sofia would be by her side as she recovered.

“They’re not here,” said the man gently.

Camila’s breath hitched in her throat. _Shit. Shit, shit, shit_. Her entire body shuddered, rejecting the idea of it, unable to fathom a world without them.

“Are they-”

“Oh, Camila, no,” he said quickly. “Your family is in Miami, they’ve been notified that you’re awake and will catch the earliest flight to New York.”

For the first time since waking up, Camila breathed a sigh of relief. Even if her world had been flipped upside down, even if she was more than half-expecting to wake up from this as a painful, disjointed, ridiculous nightmare, the people she had always known and cared about were safe.

Camila released a breath of relief. “Oh,” she said, a sheepish smile on her face. “I’m in New York?”

The doctor simply nodded. “You moved to New York a month after you graduated high-school, Lauren told me that you both go to New York University.”

“They must be proud.”

“I’m certain they are,” Doctor McKain agreed before standing. “I think you should get some rest now, Camila. When you’ll wake up, your family will be here. And I know that they’re very excited to see you.”

Camila nodded, but didn’t pay attention, dark eyes focused on the door.

“Do you want me to let her back in?” The man asked. “Or would you rather be alone to rest?”

Camila considered the offer carefully. On one hand, she had so many questions that she couldn’t even begin to imagine. But she was, for the first time, genuinely afraid. She has heard Lauren Jauregui speak, seen her laugh, seen her cry, seen every line and crinkle on her face - but that was all forgotten. Gone were those memories. She was a stranger to her, and Camila didn’t like being alone with strangers.

“Camila?”

Camila bit on her lower lip. “Alone.”

The man nodded, heading towards the door. “No problem,” he said. “Knowing that girl, she’ll ask why she can’t come in. Is there anything you want me to tell her?”

Camila searched her brain for something, anything — even one tiny memory that she could summon to make this right. All she found was a persistent and almost cruel blank page.

She stared down at the uncomfortable white sheets of her hospital bed. “No,” she said.

The man nodded, excusing himself from the room and closing the door behind himself. The strange thing was, Camila felt bad about it. She felt bad for not leaving a note to the stranger that she’d once called her friend, and even if she had, she wouldn’t have known what to say.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this chapter!  
> I will try to post new chapters every Tuesdays and Fridays.
> 
> If you want to stalk me on social media:  
> tumblr - ijugu  
> twitter - @smilleyNicky
> 
> Comments & feedback is always welcome.


	2. Visitors

_“Come on, babe,” Camila said, grabbing her hand without a moment’s hesitation. “Let’s sit next to the fireplace.”_

_“But it’ll be too hot,” Lauren rose a brow, a smile dangling on her full lips._

_Camila pulled her to the maroon couch that was only big enough for one, then gently guided Lauren to sit down with a joke about having her being a cushion. Lauren smirked and shook her head. When she was properly seated, Camila walked in between the girl's legs and perched herself on the girl’s thighs, leaning back onto the ebony-haired girl’s body._

_Lauren’s arms wrapped around her on instinct, one hand curled around her waist and the other wrapping around her hips, hand resting atop Camila’s thigh. Clara smiled contently at the sight of her daughter, turning back to talk to Sinuhe. Camila leaned backward as if to kiss her cheek, her long dark hair cascading around the side of Lauren’s face. Hot air left her lips to whisper into her ear, loud enough for relatives to hear._

_“Only because you’re here,” Camila said, winking and pressing a kiss to Lauren’s jaw._

_Lauren swallowed thickly and turned to give her a smile, and up close like this, with the light of the fire hitting Camila just right, her eyes seemed to turn amber. Her lashes were fuller than she’d expected them to be, thick and long. Close to her hairline resided a tiny little beauty mark, marking her forehead in a beautiful manner. For a moment, Lauren forgot what to say, too busy with inspecting Camila’s features._

_“I didn’t know you had a little mole on your forehead,” Lauren whispered, and Camila smiled fondly._

_“I do?”_

_“Yeah,” Lauren nodded, dark hair following suit. She brushed a finger to Camila’s forehead, where the small beauty mark resided. “Right there, hiding behind your hair.”_

_Camila smiled and allowed herself to look around over her girlfriend’s shoulder, chin pressing into her white blouse._

_It was such a sleepy place. A green and lush tree sparkled in a multitude of lights, the snow falling outside and the warm ambiance of the chalet. Camila could see herself and Lauren in a place like this, a sleepy place all to themselves to read during the day, and sit by a cozy fireplace at night. Quiet, beautiful and removed from the crazy atmosphere of New York City._

\- - - - - -

Lauren jolted awake, searching around her bed for Camila. She huffed in frustration, collapsing onto the cold and empty spot where Camila usually slept. She glanced at the clock on their nightstand, it was five in the morning.

She laid on her back, counting each slow rotation of the ceiling fan. Her long dark hair was perched messily on the top of her head in a loose bun, stray strands of dark hair tickling her ears and the sides of her face as they followed the rotation of the wind. Her head sank further into the space between her pillows, as frustration settled firmly in her mind and into her chest. She huffed in annoyance, smacking the comforter with her left hand and the mattress squeaked in response to the sudden violence as she recollected the events that had taken place a few hours previously.

After having left the doctor to do his job, she’d sat next to the door and began counting the flecks on the ceiling to pass her time.

Hospitals were her least favourite places, she’d decided. Sure, people were cured of cancer, babies were born and lives were saved in hospitals but this was also a place where people’s worlds were turned upside down, where prayers were cried out in times of desperation and where lives were ruined. And she’d be lying if she said that she hadn’t gone to pray in Camila’s favour in the last two months.

Lauren had counted one thousand and seventy four flecks on the ceiling when the door to room 230 opened, and Doctor McKain approached her.

“Is she okay?” Lauren had asked, before the man had even begun to speak. “That’s all I want to know.”

“I asked if she was in a relationship,” the doctor had said. “Miss. Cabello said that she’d broken up with her boyfriend.”

She remembered the doctor looking at her sceptically, as if anticipating her reaction as she spoke. “Alright,” she’d said, confused. Camila hadn’t dated men since she’d been sixteen. “I know it’s a few minutes past visiting hours, but could I go see her?”

“I can't allow you access, sorry. But you may go see her tomorrow during visiting hours,” he said, face neutral. “But I will let you know, Miss. Jauregui, that when I mentioned you, she didn’t remember anything. I’m not saying this to hurt you in any way, these sort of things are fairly common for patients with amnesia. I am only telling you this so that you will not be surprised if she does not remember you.”

As the words were uttered, Lauren felt her heart ache in a million different ways. Her eyes pricked, and her heart seemed to be stuck in her throat. No, she would not cry here. Not in front of him. Lauren nodded, licking her lips.

“Thank you,” she’s managed to say, turning on her heels. “I’ll be back in the morning.”

As quickly as she could, Lauren headed to the only quiet place in the building, the chapel. It was a dreary room, with a small window, plush chairs and a muted soundtrack. There was a crucifix mounted on the wall next to the star of David, and a few paintings of the Madonna and Child hanging in the back. The young woman had slumped in one of the chairs, running her hands over her face as she sobbed, letting the tears flow freely. There was only so much a person could take, and only so many pieces of bad news a person could be told before breaking down.

And for Lauren, that was that moment.

A sob forced its way out of her throat, and Lauren couldn’t help the tears from falling anymore. Her heart was beating in her ears, and she couldn’t hear anything besides the sound of her breathing, chocked and heaving. She covered her mouth to muffle the sobs that racked her body, but all she did was scream. She wanted to scream and punch something, because it wasn’t fair.

It seemed like hours passed before Lauren heard anything aside from her hiccuped breathing and the muted soundtrack of the dull chapel. She’d decided that waiting and crying was pathetic and decided to go home, after all she would need all the energy she could muster for tomorrow. The sound of rain drowned out anything but her breathing as she stepped outside, and she wrapped her arms around herself to maintain some warmth as she walked to her car.

Lauren had arrived home at their shared apartment. It felt wrong.

She walked into her home, quickly shutting the door to prevent her cat from escaping. The ebony-haired woman sighed and headed into the living room to clean up the dishes she'd left earlier and slowly prepared herself for bed. Opening the door to the living room, the usual bright colours of their belongings seemed inappropriate, disrespectful even. How dared anything be so bright at this time? She turned off the lights and hurried upstairs, their cat following behind as she walked.

She slipped off her clothes, slipping into a pair of sweatpants and a ratty, old T-shirt.

Lauren collapsed onto her bed, reaching underneath the bed and turning on her laptop, as she found it hard to sleep. After a moment of scrolling through her social medias, and finding absolutely nothing new, she logged into Facebook. There were photos of Dinah and Normani at a bar, the phone held front-facing by Normani as they gave cheesy smiles into the camera. The flash was on and there was some purple and blue lights in the background. _A nightclub_. Lauren grinned, good for them.

She kept scrolling.

There were pictures of her friends, some of her high school acquaintances she never talked to anymore, and some family members. And they all seemed to already be having the picture perfect lives, flashes of engagement rings blinding her eyes through the screen, some with small toddlers running around with cute captions. There was a picture of Ally, wrapped in Troy’s long arms as she took the picture, who pressed a kiss to the small girl’s cheek in an affectionate manner.

After a while, she'd logged off and closed the screen, plugging in her computer to charge. She buried herself under the soft blankets of her bed, her head landing on the soft pillow with a huff. Five in the morning came quickly, raising her from sleep and left her laying in bed, frustrated and angry.

Seeing as she couldn’t sleep anymore, Lauren rolled out of bed and went into the living room of their apartment, standing in front of the big windows to glance down at the sleeping New York streets. The sight always calmed her, it always cleared her mind.

\- - - - - -

The ebony haired girl stared at her shoes as small puddles began forming beneath the soles, some water finding its way into her shoes and she cursed under her breath. It had rained the night before and of course, the girl hadn't prepared herself ahead of time like everyone else for the weather before making her way to the small cafe where she spent most of her free time working.

It was quite early in the morning, only a few occasional cars passed here and there, she counted perhaps no more than three. It was a mild morning by the looks of it, not too hot and not too cold, the perfect temperature in her taste. The sun was barely rising above the tall buildings of the city and the birds sung in the early morning air.

The headache throbbing behind her eyes was threatening to overpower her as she made her way into the coffee shop where she worked, staring at her shoes as she walked. The bell chimed, announcing the arrival of a new customer. A short, bubbly girl came from the storage room, a bright smile on her face.

“Lauren,” Ally greeted, a charming smile on her face. “What a surprise to see you here, this early. You're not working today, so I'm guessing you wanted to come see me.”

Lauren had never been the type to ask for some pretentious drink, hell, she didn't even like coffee which was ironic considering where she worked. But when the job presented itself, who was she to say no?

Lauren didn't hate her job exactly, she only got fed up with the early morning and late night shifts. She was also fed up with the requests of “ _my usual please_ ”, as if she kept a mental catalog of all the orders of everyone who came in, or the order of the “ _non-fat, grande, soy chai latte with half a shot of espresso and no foam_ ” as if it was something that people actually drank after working out at the gym. More like taking multiple selfies, pretending to work out, and then going to the coffee shop.

The only redeeming factor, Lauren supposed, was the tip jar.

“Thanks, A-”

"Wow, you look terrible,” a voice called and Lauren rolled her eyes before dropping her gaze onto the familiar figure of her friend, Dinah Jane, who walked out of the Employee’s lounge.

"Sometimes, I have to remind myself that I love you, Dinah."

Chuckling, Dinah leaned over the counter to kiss Lauren's cheek and offered a smirk. She watched as Lauren ran a hand through her hair as Ally smiled and prepared a cup of coffee. "So, are you going to tell me why you look like you had a wild party last night and woke up hung over, or not?"

Lauren glared, a hint of a smile on her face. "Well, obviously, I didn’t have a wild party."

"Obviously,” the Polynesian girl rolled her dark eyes, flipping her dyed blonde hair over her shoulder. “So, spill."

"Couldn’t sleep," Lauren admitted. "I was up later than I expected to be. And then, of course, I had to wake up at five a.m. for no reason other than to think.”

“Thinking about Mila?” Ally pitched in, looking at the girls.

“Who else?” Lauren nodded, directing her gaze at the ground for a moment before changing the subject. “I still haven’t gotten used to sleeping alone, even if it has been two months.”

“Any news on Mila?” The smaller girl asked. “Any better?”

“She’s better, now,” Lauren smiled gently, blowing the steam off the cup. “She woke up yesterday night.”

Ally nearly bit through her tongue to keep from squealing with excitement and Dinah did the opposite, clapping her hands together and smiling brightly.

“That’s good!” Ally said, lips parting in a bright smile. “I’m so happy! Can’t wait to spend time with our Mila, it’s been a while.”

Lauren resisted the urge to groan, twirling her newly brewed coffee in the foam cup, watching as it mixed the darkness of the coffee with the whipped cream. “Yeah,” the ebony-haired girl nodded. “As soon as she remembers us, we’ll definitely get around to that.”

“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry!” Ally turned fifty different shades of red. “I didn’t mean-”

“It’s fine,” Lauren dismissed with a hand. “Apparently it’s common for patients who’ve been in comas to have amnesia. She has what's called "Retrograde Amnesia", I did some research yesterday night, or this morning, which ever you prefer.”

The conversation was put on hold as Ally handed over a coffee, smiling apologetically at Lauren as she set the hot beverage in front of the young woman. "Here you go. It’s on the house, and I’m sure you’ll need it.”

"Thank you," she smiled softly, quickly bringing the cup to her lips, distracting herself by blowing on the hot liquid.

"You are very welcome."

"When does she get out, then?" Dinah asked softly, brown eyes locking into Lauren's green ones in concern. “And when can we go see her?”

"I don't know," Lauren shrugged, burying her face into her coffee, refusing to show her emotions. A satisfied hum vibrated between her lips at the bitter, familiar taste on her tongue and the heat of the liquid as it slipped down her throat.

It had been exactly what she needed.

Dinah cleared her throat uncomfortably and pushed a napkin aside, turning to Ally and smiling deviously. “So, how’s Troy doing?” She asked, changing the subject and Lauren smiled in relief. “Did he pop the question, yet?”

Ever since moving to New York with Camila, they’d made friends with other University students and some coworkers. Troy and Ally just so happened to be working with Lauren at the local coffee shop, and had been passionately in love since freshman year of high-school.

“Not yet,” Ally hummed, pouting dramatically for effect.

“You’ve been dating since forever,” Lauren commented, gesturing with her hands. “Seriously you’ve been dating since sixteen, you’ve been living under the same roof since eighteen, and you even work at the same place.”

“Yeah, why _aren’t_ you two married already?” Dinah flipped her light hair over her shoulder and tilted her head, resting her chin on her hand as she stared straight at Ally. “I expected a happy announcement by now.”

“Me too,” Ally admitted, laughing. “But, I guess it’s not the right time yet.”

The girls all knew how much Ally wanted a family. Since she was young, Ally craved security. They’d always known how much she wanted to have a family of her own one day, a place and sense of belonging. A place that was entirely hers, and Troy knew.

From what they’d gathered, Troy had been in Ally’s life since they were ten, watching her from across the street as she dated a few boys from their school, and developing a massive crush on the girl in the process. The year of Ally’s sixteenth birthday, he’d shown up outside her door and told her that she belonged with him, that hes loved her since they were little and somehow that confession had turned into dating. Dating had turned into sleeping together, and they’d moved in together during their first year of University.

“What about you, Dinah Jane?” Lauren asked, a smile on her face. “How was your date yesterday?”

Instead of answering, the Polynesian girl brought her middle finger up to her mouth and mock-gagged herself on it, earning a laugh from the others.

“It couldn’t be that bad,” Ally jabbed, smiling deviously at the Polynesian girl.

“But it was!” Dinah said, smacking her upper arm as if to solidify her story. “Sure, he was hot. But he kept talking over me and tried to order for me!”

“He ordered for you?” Lauren lifted her eyebrows, scoffing. “What an ass.”

“And the lady will have a side salad,” the Polynesian girl imitated,trying her best at a British voice. “What do you mean I’ll have a side salad? Like, eat what you want, you can even have that side salad you ordered for me. But I can order for myself, thanks!”

Everyone giggled at Dinah’s outburst of emotion, Lauren shaking her head but chuckling around the mouth of her coffee. “Did you eat it?” Lauren snorted into her drink.

“No,” the blonde replied, a wicked smile appearing on her lips. “I didn’t even let him finish the order, I interrupted and ordered for myself.”

“Yes, Dinah!” Ally clapped in approval. “I bet he felt like such an idiot.”

“Oh, oh!” Dinah added, motioning for a moment. “And then he got called by the babysitter to take care of his kid, ending the date early. Said his son got sick and puked everywhere in the house, he paid for diner and basically ran to his car. I, on the other hand, walked to McDonald’s and ate a Burger in my fancy ass dress with Mani.”

The conversation fell into giggles and playful jabs, and it was as though talk of Camila had never happened. Then, the bell above the door rang, announcing the arrival of another customer and Lauren took her leave, hugging the two girls above the counter and making her way out onto the cold streets of New York City.

With a sigh and another nervous run of fingers through her ebony hair, she approached the waiting room of the Hospital. It was empty except for a few people waiting for good or bad news from relatives in emergency rooms. The young woman found a seat in the corner of the seating area, where she could keep an eye on the front door for Camila’s family, the hallways, and the stairs currently bathed in darkness. She dropped her backpack on the seat next to hers and dug out her phone.

It was still off. Still waiting.

She contemplated the phone, turning it around over and over in her hands and stalling before making up her mind. Her options were turning on the device and facing the notifications in order to get to her playlists, or sitting with nothing to do but stare at a cream-coloured wall until Camila’s family would come to New York.

Camila’s mother, Sinuhe, had called as soon as she’d gotten Lauren’s phone call. She’d said that they’d catch the earliest flight to New York, and would probably arrive near noon. And it was currently ten, an hour before she could see her girlfriend again.

Lauren turned on her phone.

Immediately, the sounds of missed phone calls, voicemails and text messages flooded to her ears. She flinched, the headache she’d been carrying since the previous night spiking. She scrolled through her lock screen, currently littered by friends and family members.

_Missed voicemail: Mom._

_Missed voicemail: Mani._

_Missed phonecall: Dinah Jane._

_Text message from Mom: Honey, I’m so happy to hear that she woke up. I know you can work this o..._

_Missed phone call._

_Missed phone call_   
_._   
_Text message._

The list went on for a while.

Lauren closed her eyes and let the noises finish out their incessant drilling until they exhausted themselves, then she unlocked her phone and ignored the bright red bubbles screaming for her attendance, going instead to the music app.

At least, she could drown out the turmoil going on through her mind with music, because it was easier than going around breaking things in a hospital in frustration.

As soon as the music played, she rested her head against the wall, earphones practically shoved against her eardrums, and closed her green eyes, letting the dull darkness behind bore her to a quiet place. And it was perfect, and she was finally starting to relax hours later when a hand tapped her shoulder. Lauren jolted awake, brows furrowing. The small but intimidating figure of Sinuhe stood in front of her, a shy smile on her exhausted face.

Without a word, Lauren stood and they hugged. Sinuhe was one of the strongest women Lauren had ever met, showing acceptance and love to whoever she would encounter.

When Camila and Lauren had announced their relationship and she’d been introduced to Sinuhe, the older woman had hugged her without a moment’s hesitation and had been gracious and welcoming. She remembered how Camila had flushed in embarrassment as she accompanied Lauren back to her car, apologizing at her mother’s expense.

Now, that was all a memory and Lauren stood, hugging the older woman in a hospital waiting room. The older woman pulled out of the embrace, dark eyes reflecting sadness and pity. Sinuhe intertwined their arms together, placing a hand on Lauren’s forearm as they made their way to the elevator.

“Have you seen her, yet?” Lauren asked, glancing down at her shoes.

Sinuhe nodded, short dark hair following suit. “She thinks it’s 2012,” the older woman informed her, voice timid and hesitant as she stumbled through her sentence in English. “She doesn’t remember five years of her life.”

Five years. Five years forgotten. Lauren did the math, quickly as they walked into the elevator. Camila was currently twenty, subtract five years and - shit. She thought she was 15 years old when she was in reality, twenty years old.

“She’s sleeping a lot, a side effect from one of the medicines,” Sinuhe filled in the silence. “She’s been told all about her type of amnesia, retrograde if I remember correctly. She can’t remember certain events before the crash, and in her case, she can only remember things from before 2012.”

“She must be scared,” Lauren whispered, longing to be able to see Camila. All that was in her mind was to hold her and tell her that everything was going to be okay. But Camila didn’t remember her.

“But she would never admit it,” Sinuhe laughed softly, and Lauren joined in.

It felt good to laugh, it felt like she hadn’t laughed in a lifetime.

Lauren followed Sinuhe, feeling more and more uncomfortable as they walked down the long, narrow hall. She looked to both sides and saw rows of doors, most of them closed, and Sinuhe was chattering about how wonderful it was to visit. It had been such a long time since she’d seen her daughter. Lauren nodded, barely listening but then the women were coming up to the door and her heart seemed to beat faster in anticipation. Sinuhe stepped up, knocking to announce her presence before swinging the door right open.

“Come in when you’re ready,” the woman gently said, gathering her short dark hair into a ponytail. “I’ll let her know you’re here.”

Lauren nodded, smiling as the woman disappeared into the room and left the door ajar. She stopped in front of the door, hearing the gentle sound of chatter and the small TV. She could hear Camila’s parents gently speaking Spanish to her, and Sofia laughing at the channel playing in the background.

Camila was sleeping, her mother placing a hand on her shoulder to wake her. Lauren smiled gently, pulling herself away from the door carefully, making sure not to accidentally ram into it with her foot or something and stood, turning her phone in her hands. The green-eyed girl took a deep breath, exhaling through her nose slowly. Her hand wrapped around the cold, metal handle and she hesitated for a second before turning it and pushing against the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed the second chapter!  
> I will try to post new chapters every Tuesdays and Fridays.
> 
> If you want to stalk me on social media:  
> tumblr - ijugu  
> twitter - @smilleyNicky
> 
> Comments & feedback is always welcome.


	3. Pretzels & Grapes

Soon after Doctor McKain left, Camila fell asleep. It was dreamless, blank, and entirely unhelpful. She woke up almost disappointed in herself, disappointed that she didn’t magically remember everything through some kind of dream. She’d fall in out and out of consciousness a few times during the night, feeling drained and dizzy from the medication nurses gave her. She yawned, raising her arms above her head to stretch them as best she could with the IV stuck to her arm.

The brunette hadn’t realized she’d fallen asleep until she opened her eyes to the bright light of early afternoon, hazy eyes fluttering open. Instead of staring into an empty room, she woke up to her family, who stared down at her with wide, teary eyes.

Her father was the first to speak, his fingers rising “Finally,” her father said, visibly trying to conceal the tears.

Camila smiled, her lips dry and chapped. “ _Papá_ ,” she said, the sound muffled from sleep.

Camila was startled when her father suddenly yanked her into his arms, but quickly sank into the older man’s embrace, nuzzling her head into the crook of his shoulder. Alejandro was a man of many words, not of actions, and when he’d taken her into his arms, it was a surprise. When they separated, Alejandro subtly wiped at his dark eyes, smiling softly.

“You scared the shit out of us, _mija_ ,” he said, his face obscured by emotions.

Camila started to answer him, but then she caught sight of her little sister and she was, for a moment, astounded by her. Sofia looked older, her dark hair seemed longer and cinnamon skin seemed lighter. This Sofia stood up a little straighter, her dark eyes were a little fiercer, a little more wary.

Camila greeted her sister with a gentle smile. “Your hair is longer,” she remarked. “It looks good.”

The small family wasted no time speaking of old memories, answering Camila’s most basic questions with open arms and minds. The room was filled with the soft sound of the TV, the small body of her sister laying at the foot of the uncomfortable hospital bed. Time seemed to move quickly as her family recounted tales of their life in Miami, and despite the few snags, Camila had certainly exhausted herself with an overload of information. The girl had passed out halfway through her family’s story of their immigration to America, only to be waken up to her mother’s hand pressing onto the girl’s shoulder to wake her.

She rubbed at her eyes, turning to face her mother with an air of confusion flowing over her sleepy features as the older woman pointed a finger towards the door.

“Someone wants to see you,” Sinuhe informed, a gentle smile on her face. “She’s been waiting since last night.”

Lauren stood at the door, her hand still positioned over the door handle. Her dark hair contrasted against her pale skin, falling in soft waves around her face and to her shoulders, ears and soft curls peaking from underneath her grey beanie. The girls stayed like that for a moment, Lauren with her hand still wrapped around the door handle and Camila with her fingers laced over her abdomen, smile fading as she noticed the girl at the door.

It was the stranger. _No_ , it was the angel.

Everyone took their leave from the room, her family noting that they’d been on a long flight and would like to freshen up. Camila had nodded, saying her goodbye’s before being left alone with the girl. The stood in silence, simply staring at each other.

Lauren nodded once, but her green eyes were still on her, cold and sparkling at the same time. She said nothing, did nothing, simply stood and watched Camila for a moment.

It went on for so long that Camila started fidgeting, her fingers twitching around the hem of her hospital gown. Not because she was shy, but because she’d never been stared that way, so intently before. Her first instinct was to glance down, avoiding Lauren's burning gaze.

“You can come closer, you know?” Camila chuckled softly, trying to hide her nervousness. “I don’t bite.”

The ebony-haired girl laughed, a relieved and nervous laugh, as she came closer and slumped down on one of thee plastic seats. She threw her backpack onto the seat next to hers and folded her hands in front of her, unsure of what to say or do.

“I brought you somethings to eat,” Lauren said after a beat, fishing through her backpack as she rose a brow at the metal tray positioned on a small table. “I though you’ve had enough of that dreadful food they have here, doesn’t look appetizing if you ask me.”

Camila’s eyes widened, her stomach growling at the idea of normal food. She hadn’t had anything since breakfast, and the food had been porridge like in it’s consistency with little-to-no taste, her stomach clenched in protest upon seeing the so called “ _food_ ” they had provided that morning.

The stranger looked at her. _Lauren_. Her name was Lauren. Lauren immediately retrieved her hand from the bag, holding a bag of grapes and a bag of chocolate covered pretzels. At the sight, Camila’s stomach growled in anticipation, watching the pretzels as they dangled in their bag.

“You could go for the healthiest option,” Lauren said, trying to lighten up the mood, holding up the bag of grapes. “Or go for the chocolate pretzels. Which one will it be, Camz?”

“The pretzels,” the two girls said in unison, and Camila frowned in confusion.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Lauren turned to Camila and passed her the pretzel bag, careful not to touch her. Camila gladly accepted, amber eyes on the woman as she popped a grape into her mouth. The smaller girl stared at Lauren, a skeptical glare in her eyes.

“How did you-”

“How did I know?” Lauren completed her sentence, proud of herself as she threw a grape into the air and caught it in her mouth. “Before you ask, I’m not a psychic. It’s just a force of habit, really. You always used picked those, you know? Then you’d mix them up with popcorn, saying that it was the best thing on earth. I never thought that mixing various candies in popcorn would be good, but you-”

The sentence died down as Lauren came upon the realisation of her words, glancing down at her shoes for a moment. Camila turned to look at the bag of food and bit her lip, she should say something. The girl had been nothing but nice to her, but Camila didn’t know what to say. She wanted to respond to Lauren’s memory of them, smiling and chatting as if nothing had changed. But she couldn’t. As much as she would try to remember that moment, racking her brain for it, she could never find it.

“I-I can’t-”

“Sorry,” Lauren softly apologised, passing a hand through her dark mass of hair, hiding away her face for a moment. “I shouldn’t have said that.”

Camila waited for a moment before saying anything else, trying to determine an emotion in Lauren’s reaction. The girl looked sad, her tone was sad and eyes seemed to tear up. Whatever Camila had meant to Lauren, she could tell they’d been close.

“While I was waiting to come see you,” Lauren said, eyes flickering through a few indistinct emotions that Camila didn’t recognise as she changed the subject. “I-I wrote some stuff down. At least, the most I could remember between 2012 and now.”

Camila cracked a smile, watching Lauren reach into her backpack to find her notes. “It feels like...” she said, struggling to find her words.

“Like what?”

“Like I fell out of a time machine,” Camila said, laughing softly to herself. “I wake up, thinking I’m fifteen, but I’m really twenty. I think I’m in Miami, but I live in New York City. I have five years of my life missing, gone forever.”

The ebony-haired girl looked up at her, running her hand through the dark curtain of hair hanging in front of her face, pulling at the ends of her ebony locks until she was nearly white-knuckled. With one last intake of breath, the young woman turned her gaze towards Camila.

“How much did they tell you?” Lauren asked, a frown on her features.

“I know that we were best-friends,” Camila said, counting on her fingers. And at each word uttered, Lauren’s smile seemed to falter. However, Camila paid it no mind, continuing to count down the things she’d learned in the past couple of days since she’d woken up. “I moved from Miami in 2015, and...did I-did I graduate?”

“We graduated, yeah,” the other girl replied, . “You were the Valedictorian, actually. Now, we go to NYU.”

“I was?” The smaller brunette asked, eyes lighting up. “What major did I pick?”

Lauren nodded solemnly, a soft smile on her face. “You chose English Literature,” she explained. “We’re in our second year, now.”

Her grin wavered slightly, only because it was occurring to her that if she didn’t get her memories back, then it would be a complete waste of education. She couldn’t remember any of it. She must have discovered some passion for reading and writing, because in what she remembered from 2012, she had never had any interests in the two.

“Do I have a job?” Camila asked, wondering if she should be anxious about that, too.

The young woman nodded. “You’re a student teacher,” she said, fishing out a picture frame from her bag, handing it over to the smaller girl. “And you - well, you’re their favourite teacher. After the, uh, the accident, they asked me to bring you a class picture. You’re in it, too.”

The smaller girl glanced at the frame, passing her fingers across the clear cover. There were the faces of many smiling teens, too many for Camila to count. She glanced at the two tall figures standing at the side of the tall students, a large woman with grey hair on one side, and a young woman wearing a bright pink shirt and a velvet black skirt on the other. And in the first time since waking up, Camila had a glance at her old self, her true self. This girl was bright, preppy and warm as she started fondly at the children. This Camila had lived a life, this Camila could recall her past events.

Now, she had ugly stitches on the side of her brow, and bruises on her chest and shoulders. Camila had never been vain about her appearance, but she preferred the way the old Camila looked, and now...

“The stitches are getting removed tomorrow,” Lauren assured her, seemingly knowing the girl’s insecurities. “And you’ll get to go home, Camz.”

“Home,” Camila repeated, testing the words on her tongue. “What is home?”

If she was hoping that the word would call any kind of memory or feeling, she was wrong. There was nothing there except the vague things she already knew about home, she knew that home was not a place but something. A family.

“A two bedroom apartment,” Lauren provided, a hopeful smile on her face. “It’s not too big, and not too small. Just enough to have our own spaces when we need to be alone.”

Camila nodded, biting her bottom lip. “Am I in a relationship?”

At this, Lauren seemed to distance herself, building a wall to protect herself. “Yeah,” the girl answered, words barely coming as a whisper. “You are.”

“Really?” Camila said, her mouth dropping open. “Who is it? Is he cute, or-"

The next moments didn’t need an explanation, as Camila noticed the way Lauren stared at her. The other girl stared at her with a degree of affection she'd never seen before, a thousand degrees of warmth shinned in her green irises, before directing her gaze to her shoes. Those, she remembered, were heart eyes. That was the look her parents often shared when looking at each other.

Camila's eyes widened in realization, her mouth parting slightly in shock. “Oh, it's you.”

She was laying in the brain of her fifteen year old self and, in a matter of a day, she was expected to live a life she was nowhere near ready to continue. Teaching high school students? Going to University? Living with a stranger? Dating that stranger?

“I know it’s a lot to take in, Camz,” Lauren concluded, her voice softer. “But the hospital is going to discharge you tomorrow and you’ll need to decide what you’re going to do.”

“I can’t remember anything,” Camila said, getting frustrated with herself. “How am I supposed to decide if I can’t remember anything?”

Lauren visibly jumped at the smaller girl’s sudden outburst of emotion, nodding sadly. Her mouth parted, thinking of something to say, but a knock at the door inturrupted her thought process, and both girls turned towards the door. A woman stood, clad in her blue uniform, hands folded in front of her.

“Yes?” Camila asked, raising a brow at the woman.

“You have an appointment with Doctor McKain, soon,” the woman curtly nodded.

“An appointment?” Lauren asked, brows furrowing in confusion. “I thought they’d already done all the tests they needed.”

The nurse smiled politely at Lauren, the corner of her mouth twitching slightly. “We have to give Ms. Cabello a MRI scan,” the blonde nurse informed, gesturing towards the door. “You are welcome to stay in the waiting room while the scan is in process, Ms. Jauregui.”

“It's fine,” Lauren sighed and glanced at the time on her phone, raising to her feet and placing the device in her back pocket. She shook her head, stretching as she stood. “I have my next class in a half hour, anyway.”

The green-eyed girl gathering her things with a huff, pulling the grey beanie further down. The nurse hadn’t given her a choice, it had been an order and Camila felt somewhat disappointed that the girl had to leave. Lauren sighed and slung her apparently heavy bag over her shoulder, heading towards the door.

However, she turned back and reached into her back pocket, pulling out a slip of paper with writing scrawled across it. “The list,” she said, handing it over and placing it onto the tray of unfinished food Camila had received that morning, frowning in disgust as she stared at the food. “I’ll, uh, I’ll leave the list here, so you can take a look at it if you’re not too tired.”

Camila gave her a soft smile, watching the girl. “Thank you for the-”

“Don’t mention it,” Lauren smiled, eyes shinning with a new emotion. “You need it more than I do. Besides, you have real food, now.”

Camila nodded in answer and Lauren nodded once more, turning to leave, but she whirled around again when the smaller girl called her name. The green-eyed girl turned instantly, staring intently at the smaller woman. And by the look passing on her brown eyes, Lauren already knew the question Camila would ask.

“Yeah?”

“Am I-are we,” Camila asked carefully, before shaking her head, words jumbling and mashing together in her mind. “Are we happy together?”

“We are,” Lauren answered, shuffling on her shoes under the nurse’s watchful and uncomfortable gaze. “Or were, which ever you prefer.”

She gave the brunette one last smile before slipping by the nurse, out the door, and onto the dull hospital halls, leaving in her wake a confused Camila. They were happy. Or had been. Somehow, those words sent slivers of recollection shooting through Camila’s spine.

A cough was heard a few moments later, and the nurse came closer, helping the girl to a sitting position. As customary, the nurse had come to the room to test Camila’s motor skills, bearing a bright and polite smile. Her entire day had been filled with exams: testing her reflexes, testing her basic motor skills, performing a scan of her brain, and taking blood and urine samples.

With her IV machine in tow, Camila slowly walked down the hall to her room. She’d felt like a God damned science experiment, all these doctors and nurses watching her every move as she’d laid, completely still, in the cold MRI machine.

And now, she was exhausted.

She had been lead back to her room, free to do as she pleased. Camila had simply sat back in her bed, resting her head against the uncomfortable pillows, and stared at the arkness outside. It was almost eight, and the sun went down, leaving her with nothing to do but sleep.

She shifted, aimlessly trying to fall int sleep. After shifting and turning for a few minutes, Camila gave up, sitting up and crossing her arms onto her torso. The Latina glanced around the room, glancing at the various colourful flowers and cards decorating her room. Whoever past-Camila had meant to people, she knew they’d all loved her.

Then, her gaze fell upon a single sheet of paper lying on the plastic chair next to the bed, and she remembered that Lauren had left a list. A list of all the things she’d forgotten in the last five years of her life. She reached over, grabbing the paper with two of her fingers and reading it over.

That night, she’d fallen asleep dreaming of grapes, chocolate pretzels and green eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed the third chapter!  
> I will try to post new chapters every Tuesdays and Fridays.
> 
> If you want to stalk me on social media:  
> tumblr - ijugu  
> twitter - @smilleyNicky
> 
> Comments & feedback are always welcome.


	4. Home

That morning, Lauren had woken up at around six a.m., anxiety erupting in the pit of her stomach and sent ripples of anxiety in every direction. The waves crawled up her spine, and crept down her legs. She groggily sat up, rubbing her hands across her face to rub the tiredness out of her eyes. She grunted but rolled out of bed, yawning as she stood, stretching her arms above her head.

She stretched out her limbs, yawning as she did so. She hadn't gotten much sleep the night before, but then again, when had she gotten a full night’s sleep since Camila awoke?

The muscles of her biceps strained and her toes curled as she stretched her body as far as it would go. Lauren groaned and yawned. Sufficiently stretched, she cracked her knuckles, elbows, knees, and her neck, and headed for the bathroom to finally start her day.

After a shower, she slipped into a pair of jeans, a long gray sweater, and fuzzy socks. She poured herself a bowl of cereal and a cup of coffee, staring outside at the frozen plants and yellow flowers. Camila had asked, rather begged, to plant flowers on their balcony, to make the entirety of their apartment more colourful.

Lauren laughed to herself, remembering how Camila had regretted to make that decision a few weeks later when bees had started to litter their balcony, nearly building a nest. They’d never called services that quickly, begging them to take away the bees.

She munched on her cereal as she flicked through her phone, paying it partial attention as she ate her cereal and smiled to herself at the memory, causing milk to dribble down her chin and onto her shirt. Lauren cussed, using the nearest napkin as she stood, cleaning up after herself.

For the next few hours, the ebony-haired girl cycled through a number of activities, none of which were very entertaining. She washed the dishes, washed every surface she could possibly find, washed her bed sheets and pillowcases...the list of cleanliness went on for a while.

\- - - - - -

There were 180 footsteps between the hospital and the parking, but could be reduced to 150 if Lauren ran, she knew from experience. She walked in the freezing cold of the New York City winter, hoisting the backpack’s strap higher on her shoulder, taking deep breaths as she came closer to the large, white hospital building.

It had taken her 180 steps to get to the hospital, arriving at the hospital in a few minutes. There was no rush. Most of the hospital was entirely empty at midday, with a few nurses running around to get their work done before the rush of lunch.

 _It’s going to be fine,_ she reminded herself as she walked down the hall. _You’ll take Camz home, and everything will be fine._

The whole thing had become a mantra since she’d walked away from room 230 less than twenty hours ago, prompted by the blonde nurse that had rather kicked Lauren out of the room. One foot in front of the other, boots squishing against the white tiled floor as she walked, she neared the room, slowing her steps.

The walk felt like torture.

200...201...202...203

Lauren counted the doors, slowing her steps as she got closer and closer. She stopped in front of the door, gently pressing her ear to it and hoping that her girlfriend wasn’t sleeping. The TV was on. She could hear the voice of a weather channel woman informing the public about the severity of the snow, and how it might extend longer than expected.

She pulled herself away from the door, taking a deep breath and knocking on the rigid door. She knocked a few more times, waiting for Camila to give her permission to enter.

“Come in,” Camila called, and Lauren pushed open the door.

Camila was laying on her bed, still dressed in the soft blue hospital gown, sock clad feet crossed at the ankles. Her hair had been brushed, falling in soft waves around her shoulders, earlobes peeking from underneath the soft curls.

Lauren chewed on the inside of her cheek, and Camila carefully turned her head to look at the new arrival. They stayed like that for a moment, staring at each other without moving. She looked effortlessly beautiful, Camila’s amber-coloured eyes shinning with life.

The pair stared into each other’s eyes. Camila nodded once, but her amber eyes were still on Lauren, cold and sparkling at the same time. Lauren said nothing, did nothing, simply stood and watched her for a moment, observing the young woman’s body language towards her.

It went on for so long that Camila started fidgeting, her fingers twisting around the thin covers of the hospital bed. Not because she was shy, but because she’d never been stared that way, so intently before. Her first instinct was to glance down, avoiding Lauren’s burning gaze.

“You’re scared,” Lauren said, mostly admitting it to herself as every cell in her being shivered at the thought. “Aren’t you?”

Camila squared her shoulders, sitting straighter in the uncomfortable bed. “I’m not scared.”

The younger woman’s body might agree, but her voice visibly quivered, because the way Lauren looked at her was intense and uncomfortable. Not intense and uncomfortable like the way some men had stared at her as she’d started showing signs of puberty. No, Lauren's intensity was heavy and warm, almost as if she could read her just from looking at her. Camila forced her hands to stop, dropping them to her sides.

“You don’t know me.”  
  
“I don’t,” Camila agreed.  
  
“But you did agree to come home with me, so that’s something,” Lauren laughed softly, her laugh coming out as a relieved one.

 _Home_. The word sounded so foreign as she’d spoken it, floating through the thick air between the two girls.

“I, uh, I brought you some clothes,” Lauren said, putting the bag at the edge of the bed.

Camila stared at the girl for a moment longer, before turning towards the bag. She opened it with jerky fingers and grabbed the first few things that were on top, making extra careful to grab the underwear — a lacy thing that made her heart stammer a little too uncomfortably — while her hand was wrapped under a light pastel purple shirt. The smaller Latina noticed the denim-like fabric and grabbed that, too. _Jeans_.

“I’ll be in the bathroom,” Lauren called, grabbing the back of her neck.

As soon as Lauren stepped out of the room, she went to the hospital’s bathroom. She flipped the switch. The small bathroom was all white, typical of hospitals everywhere. White sink, white toilet and white everything. It felt like walking into a reverse void. Lauren took notice of the bags underneath her eyes and sighed, she should get more sleep.

Immediately after exiting the bathroom, she’d seen a flash of blonde hair bolting down the hall to Camila’s room, reaching the girl in record time. She sighed, rolling her eyes, making her way over. Of course the girls couldn’t have waited until they’d went back home.

The women were bent over the hospital bed, barreling into Camila, a tangle of arms wrapping firmly around her waist. The girls all squealed excitedly, and Camila sat, frozen onto her bed as she frantically stared around for any sign of a familiar face.

Camila stared around for a familiar face, someone who could help her get free from the unwanted embrace of the excited strangers. Then, she heard a set of steps that sh was starting to quickly recognize over the course of a few days, even above the excited squeals of the three girls. It was an assured stride, the click of heels engaging in long steps prickling at her sensitive eardrums. She turned her head to see Lauren standing at the door, green eyes zeroed in on the girl in concern.

The smaller girl visibly sagged in relief. _At least that was something_ , Lauren thought.

“Guys, she just woke up!” Lauren called and the girls quickly stepped away, letting go of the brunette. “Give her some space.”

Shock filled brown eyes stared at Lauren, her mouth parting slightly. Then, she stared at the three girls, biting down nervously on her bottom lip. Lauren noticed a look of confusion settle across Camila’s face, a slight frown appearing as she tried to remember.

The younger girl took a breath, tilting her head to the side as she watched the trio. There was a small girl with honey-coloured eyes, and brown hair, seeming cherry and preppy. There was a girl with flawless dark skin, her dark hair ending a little above her collar bones, and a girl with perfectly curled dyed blonde hair. Nothing came to mind, a blank slate.

“Who are-”

“Camz,” Lauren jumped in. “This is Ally, Normani, and Dinah. They’re our friends from University.”

Camila nodded, amber eyes glancing at the girls who’s faces now had names. Ally, Normani and Dinah. She shook her head slowly, biting her bottom lip. A pin could be dropped and it would be as loud as an orchestra.

“You used to work at the school with Normani,” Lauren filled in. “Do you remember?”

“I’m sorry, but I can’t-” Camila began, then turned to give a pointed and embarrassed look to Lauren.

The girls simply stared at Camila, shock evident on their features, and Camila tried to make herself smaller in the hospital bed. They stared at her, wide-eyed and mouth agape. They stared at her like a zoo animal, like a second head was protruding from the side of her neck.

“I’m sorry, that I can’t re-”

Before she could finish, however, the girl called Normani excused herself from the room and left into the hall. The others quickly followed, Ally giving an apologetic smile at Camila’s benefit before following Normani and Dinah, hot on their heels.

Lauren placed her hand on the smaller girl’s shoulder, smiling softly. “I’ll be back,” she promised. “I’m just going to talk to them.”

Camila nodded, turning back to watch the TV and the green-eyed girl sighed before following the others. Camila visibly sank further into the hospital bed, feeling guilt stirring in the pit of her stomach. She pondered for a while as Lauren packed, as best she could, the dying flowers and colourful cards that had been given to her while she’d been in her coma. Maybe the girls had left one, too.

When the girl had came back into the room, Camila was dressed and stood at the window, admiring the flowers people had left for her. There were many of them, there was Orchids, Lilas, Tulips, ect. It made a surge of happiness fly to her stomach.

“Are we going?” Camila asked, her back to Lauren.

The ebony-haired girl gave a soft smile, shoving the paper-bag with the girl’s prescriptions into her backpack. Camila reached a hand towards the window, her fingers touching the cold glass that separated her from the outside world.

“Ready when you are.”

Camila just sighed and turned towards the taller girl, slowly walking across the room to the door and down the hall. Lauren followed, slowing her step o walk a little behind the brunette. Camila walked, her head held up high and radiating confidence. That was the Camila she knew and loved. They’d walked silently and slowly to the parking lot, and to Lauren’s car. Lauren opened the door for the girl and placed the bag in the back seat, sliding into the driver’s seat.

Music blasted from the radio as Lauren turned on the car, a small smile making its way to her lips. A memory flashed before her eyes, four years ago when the two girls had moved to New York.

_Camila had been clapping her hands, singing along to Van Halen's “Jump”, which only made it better in Lauren's opinion, with her own made-up lyrics, and bounced and swayed around in the passenger seat with the summer breeze blowing through her long hair._

_Lauren loved old pop music. She’d fallen in love with it when she was really young, living with virtuoso parents had opened up her world to music and arts early in her life, and she was glad. To her, eighties music practically screamed fun._

_At one of Camila’s strange, yet funny faces, Lauren had dissolved into laughter until the best kind of ache throbbed in her ribcage as she drove._

_“What?” Camila had smiled brightly, her cheeks gaining a soft pink tint because of the sun. “I don’t know the lyrics, so I made up my own.”_

_To date Camila had been the best decision Lauren had ever made. The ebony-haired girl had always been such a solitary person, but she liked having Camila around. Maybe it was because they had been so different._ _It intrigued her. She was always impressed by the younger woman's confidence. Lauren was also an extremely confident woman, but her girlfriend's confidence was different. It was present in everything. It was present in the way she carried herself, the way she laughed, and the way she interacted with her._

 _Camila Cabello was like a cheesy comedy movie, an instant way to cheer up after a bad night. She shone brightly like the sun, spreading kindness and joy wherever she went._ _A happy sigh had escaped Lauren's lips as she drove, a hand reaching to hold Camila’s and intertwining their fingers together. "I love you, goofball."_

_“I love you, too,” Camia had smiled, leaning over to kiss her girlfriend’s cheek._

The though faded away as a finger jabbed into her arm and she jumped, brought back to reality rather abruptly. When she saw who touched her, she flinched for a moment. “Lauren?” Camila asked tentatively, raising a confused brow. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, sorry. I must have spaced out,” the ebony-haired girl stuttered.

She had been so lost in her own thoughts that she’d completely missed the woman talking to her. Ears turning red, thankful to have them hidden under her hair, Lauren pulled out of the parking and began to drive. The drive was earily quiet xcept for the sound of the music.

\- - - - -

They walked silently toward the door, Lauren's pulse racing and her skin pricking with the tense anticipation that seemed to live in the air around them. Camila trailed a bit behind her, led by the other woman as the fingertips of her right hand barely dusted through the spaces between those of Camila's left.

Lauren unlocked the door and pulled Camila into the house, turning on the lights. “Welcome home,” Lauren said, letting the girl walk in and headed down the hall. “Feel free to look around, and ask questions.”

Camila wandered from room to room, taking in the details of the apartment. Every inch of his home was designed and decorated. It screamed style, and somehow managed to remain homey. There were pictures scattered about the house - pictures of sceneries, pictures of Lauren and Camila with the trio she’d met earlier, and a picture that seemed different than the rest in the living room.

She stared up at the photo for several long moments, tilting her head as she took the frame into her hands. She found it so beautiful that she could hardly believe it was her in the frame.

_But it was._

Camila stood front and center in the photo, donning skinny jeans and a white tank, a large and bright smile that showed all her teeth in the picture, but it was her face that drew her in. Caught in a moment of...Camila didn't know, but she could tell it was genuine. She had never seen herself look so open before, so tender.

“That one was my favorite,” Lauren said and Camila jumped. “Your eyes are beautiful, so bright.”

“Yeah,” Camila breathed. “Where was this?”

“At the Pride parade in 2015," Lauren said, and Camila nodded. “You never wanted it to end. You even performed at a bar, later during the evening.”

“I-uh...I can’t remember,” Camila admitted, finally looking over at Lauren, a soft frown tracing her features.

Lauren nodded softly, sadly glancing down at the instrument next to the fireplace. She glanced down at the light acoustic guitar, running her fingers over the large and intricate design Lauren had drawn at Camila’s request with a permanent sharpie on the smooth wooden front.

"Do you play?" Camila asked as Lauren stood with the guitar, shuffling from foot to foot.

"I don't,” Lauren shook her head, staring down at the guitar. “This was yours. You received this as a graduation present from your parents before we left for New York. You liked to play, even when it was a little past midnight and our neighbours complained at our door."

Camila tilted her head, staring at the wooden object for a moment, visibly racking the depths of her brain for a memory. “How long did I play?”

"Uh, about six years now."

"Wow."

Their eyes locked and, in that moment, a strange form of tension filled the space between them. Electricity practically crackled in the air as they took unconscious steps toward one another, the only obstacle between them being the acoustic guitar in Lauren's hand. It was as if the tiny golden flecks in Camila's brown eyes were calling to her, pinning her in place.

A single word slithered across Lauren’s lips before she could stop it. "Camila?"

The smaller girl sucked in a sharp breath. "Yeah?"

Lauren pointed to the guitar once more. "Could you play something?” She asked, but upon seeing the hesitance on the girl’s face, she added. “If you want.”

"Um, s-sure," Camila slowly nodded, taking a hold of the guitar and observing the details. “I _could_ try."

This was good. This was the first time Camila had shown signs of remembering, as far as Lauren knew. Lauren stepped around her and settled on the couch, motioning the space next to her. “Please,” Lauren beckoned, smiling softly. “You’ll be better sitting.”

"Well, um, okay,” Camila reculently agreed as she sat down, leaving a foot of space between them.

They glanced at one another a final time before Camila dropped her head to rest her chin on the side of the guitar, watching the tense strings with her eyes, and took a deep breath before beginning to play a random melody. A mixture of notes began to form the notes of Extreme's “More Than Words”, hitting Lauren like a truck.

Hesitant fingers moved effortlessly over strings, gliding slowly from fret to fret, keeping Lauren utterly captivated. Green eyes tracked the movements of Camila's fingers, but what she was most drawn to was the expression of peace that settled over her face as she played.

Camila was entirely serene in that moment, and Lauren thought she had never seen her look more beautiful, even with the bruises marking her skin. Chin resting atop the side of the guitar, Camila swaying gently as she strummed and sang along. She didn't play any one song in particular but rather a random assortment of notes she remembered.

The ebony-haired girl's lips parted, her fingers twisting together in her lap, and the more Camila played, the harder the other girl's heart pounded against her ribs. It was like nothing happened, like everything was normal. But then she remembered that it wasn’t. The feeling overwhelmed her, and she could feel her pulse in every part of her body. It throbbed in her ears, quaked in her throat and fluttered in her chest. It was completely overwhelming, as the realization seemed to only heighten the feeling. She was so overtook with emotions, in fact, that she hadn't even notice that Camila had stopped playing.

“Lauren?”

Jolting from her daze, the green-eyed girl blinked rapidly and realized that the smaller Latina was staring at her. Her slender fingers were settled atop the guitar that was no longer producing gentle melodies, and a soft smile played at her lips, a slight frown accompanying it all.

"Yeah?" Lauren shook her head, quickly clearing her throat. "Sorry, I guess I got lost in the music. Thanks, it was beautiful, camz."

Cheeks flushing a beautiful shade of pink, Camila ducked her head and shrugged as if to dismiss the compliment, a soft knowing smile on her lips. "No problem, I think I liked to play before."

“How did you-”

“My hands remembered,” Camila nodded, frowning at the guitar. “Even if I couldn’t.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> RELEVANT PROPS FOR THIS CHAPTER:  
> 1\. [Camila's guitar](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/78/f7/e2/78f7e206c89ca7f2d712068a1bc2c294.jpg)  
> 2\. [Camila's version of "More Than Words"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYOgXVbih5M)
> 
> Hope you enjoyed the fourth chapter!  
> I will try to post new chapters every Tuesdays and Fridays.
> 
> If you want to stalk me on social media:  
> tumblr - ijugu  
> twitter - @smilleyNicky
> 
> Comments & feedback is always welcome.


	5. Sweet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay guys, life has been kicking my butt recently! I won't bore you with the details, so without further adue, here's the fifth chapter!

Slender fingers moved over writing, neat and compact in its leather case. Her old diary. She couldn’t remember it, but the smell of the worn leather and old pages reminded her of something familiar. Something she couldn’t quite find in her memory.

After she’d played the guitar - to her own surprise - her eyes had drifted to the large library in the corner of the room, on its shelves were placed small objects and many different books. Upon glancing further, she’d stood and walked over to the wooden library.

A book in particular stuck out like a sore thumb, and Camila carefully took it out from its resting place. The leather felt worn against her hands, some parts of it flaking off. She glanced at the green-eyed girl, who assured her with a smile that the leather book had been Camila’s journal when she’d been in high school.

Camila quietly made her way back to the sofa and plopped down on the empty seat, opening the diary she’d kept while growing up. She hoped to find hidden memories, an insight into her old life, to see the Camila that had lived.

And a page stuck out to her.

_Dear, diary,_   
_There’s this girl, her name’s Lauren._   
_She sits behind me in Chemistry class, and she’s so beautiful. When I look at her, I lose my mind. It’s like everything goes blank, and she’s suddenly the only thing I see. Everything else fades away. She sometimes looks at me while talking to her friends, and I suddenly can’t breathe._   
_She has the most beautiful green eyes I’ve ever seen. No, just green doesn’t make her justice. They’re a mixture of blue, green and gold. And those eyes seem to know the secrets of the universe, they might as well be the universe._   
_But these eyes don’t notice me._

“Are you hungry?” Lauren asked, jolting Camila from her trance.

Camila’s eyes popped up, her stomach growling at the idea of food. She hadn’t had anything since breakfast, and her stomach clenched in protest, it was now four in the afternoon. Lauren chuckled at her grumbling stomach and headed towards the kitchen.

Camila followed behind her, walking over to the sink and quietly soaping up her arms. Lauren arched an eyebrow, and the smaller brunette frowned. “You don’t-”

“I want to help,” she interrupted, surprising herself.

She barely knew Lauren. She had a life she didn’t remember living. She didn’t remember graduating high school, she didn’t remember moving to New York after graduation, and she didn’t remember Lauren. But she wanted to try to get to know the girl she’d once loved.

She would.   
She could.  
She will.

That became her new mantra.

Lauren took in a deep breath and turned to her again. “Pass me that pan, will you?” She asked, pointing to one of the deep pans hanging from a peg above the stove.

Camila nodded, ever helpful, grabbing for it and handed it over immediately.

They circled each other for a few minutes, Lauren digging around in the cupboards for ingredients as she ran a mental list of what she could throw together for dinner, grabbing a bottle of white wine and chicken broth. It wasn’t reduced chicken broth, only the store bought kind, but it would do. Camila mostly danced around her, looking for anything to help with.

Lauren passed her the bottle of wine.

“Drinking so early?” Camila asked, arching an eyebrow. The ebony-haired girl laughed as she stole a glance but quickly bent her head away while looking for a cutting board.

“It’s not for drinking,” she said, digging around in the bottom cupboards. “It’s for cooking. Plus, you can’t drink. It doesn’t do well with your prescription.”

Camila leaned over, enjoying the advantage of having her center of gravity be that much closer to the floor, and pushed the older girl gently aside.

“What are you looking for?” She asked.

Lauren moved away instantly, taking in a deep breath, and went about looking for other ingredients. “Chicken broth,” she said. “I’m making roasted chicken with a white wine glaze.”

Camila nodded, looking at the vegetables and at the shallots. “So, uhm…” she started, as if having read the other girl’s mind. “What can I help with?”

The green-eyed girl arched an eyebrow. “You sure you want to help?”

Camila huffed, pushing her long dark hair over her shoulder. She traightened her posture and took the vegetables from the counter, setting herself to chop them and prove herself.

And, it turned out that she was exactly as helpless as she thought. Her chopping was slow and messy, but as the minutes passed, Lauren started to hum. Camila relaxed minimally, focusing on the task at hand.

By the time their meal was made, with Camila’s help after she basically demanded to be allowed to do something, they sat at the table quietly, pushing their food around. It was a long time before Camila found the courage to talk again.

“We make quite the team,” she said, gaze rimmed on the food, watching her from under half lidded eyes.

“We do,” Lauren agreed, watching as Camila pushed the food in her plate. “You’re full already?”

No, she wasn't full. She was starving, and the absurdity of Lauren’s comment made her laugh. Who got full on half a plate of vegetables and chicken? She rolled her eye.

“No,” she admitted. “Just tired.”

The woman before her frowned a little, then a small smirk slowly curled her lips, and she gave her another once over. “Makes sense, you need to rest.”

Camila shook her head, a yawn forcing its way out of her. She crossed her arms onto her torso and glanced at her food. The chicken had been delicious, but if she was being truthful, she was more tired than hungry.

"What happened? How did I-"

Lauren visibly tensed, her posture becoming rigid in her seat and she averted her eyes.

“Nothing you need to worry about,” Lauren replies, her voice dropping an octave.

Camila raised a brow and Lauren kept her gaze on the cup of water in her hands. Camila tilted her head, studying the girl she knew little of. She leaned forward, trying to catch a glimpse of green eyes. Lauren looks at her for a second before once again looking down, and annoyance curled in the Latina's chest that she hadn't been told the full story of her accident.

“Lauren?”

“Hm?”

“What happened?” She asked.

Lauren finally glanced up, green irises staring into brown ones with a mix of pain and anger. “You don’t give up, do you?” Lauren rose a brow, leaning back into her chair. Camila leaned forward as if the sudden distance between them might keep her from hearing what Lauren had to say. “You sure you want to hear it?”

Camila nodded. If she was going to be living with this young woman, she might as well know what had happened. Everyone had been stepping around her as if she could break at the slightest touch and at the wrong word.

“There was a little boy,” Lauren said, suddenly very interested at the motif of her jeans. “Six, cute little boy. His class was on a field trip, and as a student-teacher, you were looking over the class. He was trying to catch a squirrel, and when the squirrel ran across the main road...he followed it.”

Camila's dark gaze shot down to her food. She didn't know how to feel about it, she didn't know how to react. She raked her brain for any possible memory, but none came and she felt frustrated. “Was he hurt?” Camila murmured, her fingers trembling in her lap.

“He wasn't hurt,” the ebony-haired girl continued, refusing to look at her in the face. “You ran after him, and when you caught up, there was a car. You pushed him out of the way, and the car hit you instead. The driver couldn't see through the storm, or that's what he said in court, at least.”

Camila's fingers tighten into her thighs, the alarms in her head ringing at maximum volume as she stared at Lauren. "And...what happened to the driver?" 

“He lost the case,” Lauren said, pushing a lone noodle around with his fork. "He got five years in jail. But that day, after the case was seen in court, I may or may not have stormed into the office and punched him in the face."

Camila blinked her eyes open, looking at Lauren in a new light. She could almost imagine it. No, she _could_ imagine it. " _Lauren!_ " She hissed, when the other girl released a grin.

“I was joking!” Lauren chuckled. "Of course I didn't punch him, but I wanted too."

The Latina twitched as Lauren studied her closely for some sort of reaction, and then the realisation hit Camila, slowly dawning on her. Camila had been angry for a few days, but Lauren - Lauren had been angry at the event for months. Her stomach drops, and Lauren moved, picking up her empty plate and gesturing to Camila's with a raised eyebrow.

“Come on, camz,” Lauren reached over and taking her half empty food. “Help me put this away.”

The food was put away and the dishes cleaned, and the house was empty and silent and once again they found themselves with nothing to do but stare at each other, or find some sort of indoor activity. Camila wasn't sure who moved first, only that they had somehow gone from standing and staring at each other in the kitchen to walking slowly and silently down the hallway toward her bedroom. Their shoulders brushed occasionally as they walked.

The air was thick and ripe with their silence as they entered her bedroom. They stood inside the doorway for a moment, holding hands and staring at the king-sized bed before them, which now seemed terribly daunting.

“I forgot that we only had one bed,” Lauren said, moving to the dresser across the small room. “I’ll sleep on the couch.”

Camila bit her bottom lip, watching as the ebony-haired girl took out blankets to put on the couch. She felt horrible, absolutely horrible. She didn’t know this girl, yet she did.

“You can sleep here,” Camila proposed, the words coming out hesitantly. She felt her face flush when green eyes stared at her in shock, and she glanced down. “I mean, it’s your bed, and your bed is pretty huge.”

"O-oh, right. Uh, I mean, I-Are you sure you don't mind, because I don't want to make you uncomfortable or anything. I mean, you don’t-"

Camila shook her head. "It's fine, Lauren."

"Okay."

Camila wasn’t sure who moved first, but somehow, Lauren had taken out a pair of purple shorts and a gray shirt, exiting the room before stopping at the door frame. "Your clothes are on the left side of the dresser," she called before disappearing down the hall.

When she heard the faucet running, Camila quickly changed into a plain shirt and polka-dotted pants and settled onto the edge of the bed to brush her hair. She was running the brush down the length of her long hair when she glanced up to find Lauren peeking around the corner.

Camila chuckled low in her throat when she noticed Lauren, watching as the girl made her way slowly into the room. They stared at each other for a moment, until Lauren turned her gaze towards the bed and the two young women faced the daunting bed once more.

"I usually sleep on the left side,” Lauren spoke first. “Is that okay?"

Camila simply nodded, ignoring the butterflies fluttering in her stomach and slipping into the right side of the bed that used to be her usual side. Camila tried to avert her eyes, but it was hopeless. She found herself sneaking glances in Lauren's direction as she made her way towards the bed.

Camila clenched her fists tightly around her blankets as she watched Lauren making her way, only dressed in a thin tank top and boy-shorts, exposing long ivory legs.

Lauren was quick to slide beneath the covers, and the pair laid on their back, plainly staring at the patterned ceiling. The room was soon engulfed by total darkness.

Lauren tucked in her limbs so that nothing’s touching, and they laid there, staring at each other for way too long. “Good night,” she said, giving Camila a small smile and closed her eyes.

"Night," Camila replied.

Camila didn't close her eyes but continued to stare up at the ceiling. The air in the room seemed to grow thicker in the darkness. She felt Lauren shift a few inches closer before rolling onto her side, her back to Camila’s body.

Camila watched Lauren once more, seizing up her roommate. Dark hair cascaded over her neck and spilled onto the pillow as she shifted onto her side, her back facing the young woman. Even though Lauren had closed her eyes, Camila knew she’d be awake for a long time, long enough that it felt as if hours had passed. She stayed awake until she heard Lauren's breathing slow down, then she closed her dark eyes and allowed herself to fall into the arms of sleep.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this chapter!  
> I will try to post new chapters every Fridays (That will start next Friday).
> 
> If you want to stalk me on social media:  
> tumblr - ijugu  
> twitter - @smilleyNicky
> 
> Comments & feedback is always welcome.


End file.
